Blood and Magic
by tea-is-not-leaf-juice
Summary: Armin just wants to spend his time reading under the covers in the tiny one-room house he shares with his Grandpa. It isn't until he's taken away to serve in the vampire castle that he learns more about himself and his true desires. But how will he serve without the use of his legs? ErwinxArmin and some minor LevixEren


Chapter One

It was a cold, windy night. The first breath of winter was blowing through the trees and rattling the wooden wind chime too hard for its usual soft melody. Armin snuggled deeper under his many blankets as his age stiffened grandfather put fresh logs in their fireplace to battle against the drafts in their wooden one room home. Their small house was old and falling into disrepair. The senior of the only two occupants was the single one able to tend their tiny farm and keep up with their house. Armin was sixteen and should have been able to take on most of the work by his age, but was unable to contribute due to a bad accident that had left him paralyzed from the waist down when he was around ten years old. Since then, the tiny boy hadn't been able to do much more than cook easy meals, spin wool and knit them some simple clothes and blankets.

Together they lead a simple life, surviving without magic tools or the more luxurious living conditions that their friends in town did. Grandpa couldn't use magic. He just didn't have it in him. Miraculously, Armin had an untapped ability, that he had been tested for during puberty, just like everyone else his age. No one in his family lineage had it, and Armin was ecstatic to find out that maybe there was a way he could contribute after all. Unfortunately, magic lessons were out of the question, because it was an expense they couldn't afford. Grandpa sent Armin to school for as long as it was free, but once he was too old, Armin had to stay home.

His first week home from school, sent Armin into a deep depression. He didn't get out of bed unless he had to, and he barely ate. Grandpa felt awful, but there was simply nothing he could do. They had nothing of value to sell that they could spare, and not enough savings to spend it on an education that Armin wouldn't need to survive. Once the weekend hit, and Eren and Mikasa, Armin's best friends since their first day of school, came to visit. They saw how worried Grandpa was and how depressed and scarily thin Armin had become in just one week. The two had become worried and Eren promised to bring Armin books from the library in the town where his dad paid for a membership. At first, Armin was against the idea because it was technically illegal, but once the first borrowed book was in his hands, Armin couldn't say no. The first book was just a simple novel, something that no one would think twice about Eren borrowing, but as the weeks and months went by, Eren became more daring and started checking out textbooks, and books on simple magic spells for Armin. They were books he could learn from and they kept him in much better spirits.

"That should last close to half the night," Grandpa said as he stood up and turned to smile at his frail grandson. "Your wheeled chair is right beside you, is there anything else you need before I crawl into my bed?"

"No, thank you." Armin smiled back as he wrapped one of the blankets over his head like a hood and hugged his current library book tight. In truth, he was thirsty, but he knew that he had already finished the last of the water in the house and he couldn't ask his grandfather to go out in the cold just to get more from their well. Besides, if he drank too much, Grandpa would have to get up in the middle of the night just to help him to the outhouse to pee. The disabled boy held onto a lot of guilt because of his condition. His parents were no longer around to help, and Armin should have been able to take care of so much more around the house to give his grandfather a break. Instead, his grandfather was busy taking care of him and their farm all because he had been careless as a child. Occasionally Eren and Mikasa would come over to help them with bigger projects, or to bring food. Their charity had kept Armin and his Grandfather living in much better conditions than they could have been, but neither of the Arlert's liked accepting the help. The only thing that Armin didn't mind, and even looked forward to, was when Eren and Mikasa would take him for a ride through the countryside just to get away for a while. In the summer, the three of them would even go swimming. Of course for Armin that just meant sitting in the shallow water most of the time. But he didn't mind. It was nice to cool down and just be out of the house with his two best friends.

"Alright then. I'll wake you in the morning. Maybe tomorrow I can give you a hot bath. It would help you warm up since you can never seem to hold onto any body heat." The old man chuckled and brushed some of Armin's shoulder length hair out of his eyes. "And maybe Mikasa will come over and give you a haircut."

"I think I'd like to keep it long, Grandpa. It will help keep my ears warm this winter." Armin replied as he wrapped a lock of his golden hair around one of his thin fingers.

Grandpa just chuckled again and headed to his own bed to settle in for the night. He had one leg on the bed, under the blanket when there was a loud, urgent pounding on the door. The two looked at each other in puzzlement and looked back at the door as they heard the pounding once again.

" **Open up! By order of your Lord Nile Dawk, you must open the door for the culling.** A loud, aggressive voice called through the thin wooden entrance.

Armin looked up at his grandfather in pure panic and fear. There was only one reason for someone to be at their door shouting such words. "No..." Armin mouthed as his grandfather immediately went to his bed and held his grandson close.

"We knew it could happen. Be brave, Armin. I won't let them keep you." Grandpa said resolutely.

"You can't. You know that I can't walk. I won't last. They'll kill me! And you know that you can't do a damned thing about it!" Armin cried in Grandpa's arms, tears streaming down his face as he held onto the only man he had ever considered a parent. He knew it would be the last time he'd ever see his grandfather. "Please don't try to save me. You'll only be killed. You know that. You have to know that." he begged.

" **If you do not open this door immediately we will knock it down!"** The voice gave one final warning before kicking the door in. Armin felt Grandpa hold him tighter as three soldiers entered the room. Their shiny metal helmets reflected the flickering firelight and made them appear even more menacing than Armin had ever seen. He wasn't sure if it was just the firelight or the situation, but the soldiers definitely looked taller and gruffer than they ever did just peacefully patrolling the streets in town. Their blood red leather armor, and the perfectly polished silver sword hilts didn't make Armin feel safe by any means and he held tight to Grandpa with all of the strength in his tiny arms. "By order of Lord Dawk, we are here to remove Armin Arlert as part of the culling to serve our highest rulers and protectors, The Vampire Family of the Rose. We ask that you surrender peacefully and with humble honor. Your coming service will protect us all. Please kneel before us for your mark." One of the soldiers with dark hair and a scar over one eye recited to the two Arlert's who were huddled together and a mess of tears.

"He's paralyzed. He can't kneel." Grandpa choked. He was about to lose the only thing worth living for and he couldn't keep his emotions in check.

The other two soldiers moved forward and roughly pried Armin from his grandfather's arms. Their grip on Armin's flesh was enough to bruise him, and they carelessly knocked Grandpa to the worn wooden floor as they yanked Armin off of his bed and forced him onto his knees. The tiny blonde couldn't hold himself up and he fell in a heap in front of the scarred soldier. "Please don't hurt my Grandpa!" Armin cried as he looked up at the scowling man above him.

"Make him kneel properly!" The scarred man growled to his two subordinates, ignoring Armin's cries. The two soldiers picked Armin up by his arms and hair, making him 'kneel' in front of the scarred one who took a metal stamp out of his pocket and pressed it to Armin's forehead.

At first, the metal felt cold and Armin didn't understand the point of it, but then it started to get warm and then burn until he was screaming in pain. The scarred one had muttered an incantation over him, causing Armin to be branded with the Rose symbol of the vampire family he was to serve.

"You are now an official servant of the Rose family." The scarred one announced and the other two soldiers turned him to face his grandfather who was now sitting on Armin's bed holding one of Armin's blankets to his bleeding forehead. "Look upon your honorable family member and feel joy."

Grandpa looked at Armin with as much love and adoration in his eyes as possible. He wanted Armin to feel his love and strength one last time before he was dragged away. His grandson was in extreme pain, his forehead already swelling from the branding, and he had to be strong for Armin's sake. "I love you, Armin. I will always love you. Be strong. Be brave."

"I...Love you...too." Armin choked out as stared up at his grandfather through his intense pain and tears. He could barely see, but he focused as hard as he could, knowing it would be the last time he ever got to look at his Grandpa.

"Let's go!" The scarred soldier declared and turned on his heel to leave as the other two soldiers forced Armin outside with no regard to the fact that he was only wearing his nightgown and socks. They pulled him by the arms, letting his feet drag in the dirt until they came to the horse-drawn wagon with a strong metal cage on the back, usually meant for prisoners. There were other kids Armin's age in the back, but Armin had no desire to look at their faces to see if he recognized anyone. He closed his eyes, just wanting to disappear. There was no place for an invalid at the vampire castle, and he knew it. Most likely, he would be killed or used as a human blood bag like a prisoner until he died. The vindictive side of his mind told him that it was a fitting penance for being so careless as a child and causing his grandfather the trouble of taking care of him. He didn't deserve anything more, he told himself as he was roughly thrown into the caged wagon and the door locked behind him. His body was freezing and he had no desire to even try to lift himself off of the splintery wooden floor and onto one of the seats. He knew he would likely just fall anyway as the wagon was pulled down the bumpy road. Armin lay still, letting his body remain lifeless on the floor in despair. His only solace was the cold wind on his still burning forehead.

"Armin?! What the hell? They took you too?! Armin? Armin?!"

Armin didn't register Eren's voice at first. It wasn't until his best friend was lifting him off the floor of the wagon and onto the seat between himself and Mikasa, that he realized he wasn't as alone as he felt. "Eren? Mikasa? You're here? Why?" Armin's voice cracked and he whimpered from the pain.

"Quiet!" One of the soldiers growled as they began moving again. There were seven in total. The three that had come into Armin's home and dragged him out and four more, presumably to guard the other teens.

Armin looked up into Eren's face and was just barely able to see how red his forehead was in the dim light of the swinging lanterns that hung off the bars of the cage. He clung to Eren as though he were a lifeline, wanting the comfort of his best friend and his body heat.

"I have a few theories as to why they took us," Mikasa said in a hushed voice. Most of the other kids were staring at her, hoping for answers for themselves as well. The raven haired girl was usually very quiet, but those that knew her knew that if she had something to say, it was usually important. "I'm here because I'm an orphan, and Eren is here because everyone knows he's not smart enough to be a doctor like his father. No offense." She said softly, glancing at Eren.

"Hey!" Eren said louder than he should have, earning him a slap on the back of the head from one of the soldiers. Everyone in the wagon froze, expecting worse. They all stayed quiet until the guards started talking among themselves again. "So then why do you think Armin is here? It's not like he can become a part of the guard or even be a good servant without his legs." Eren whispered very quietly.

"I think it's because Lord Dawk wants the Arlert farm. And he won't get it until Armin and his Grandfather are gone." Mikasa replied.

"That's stupid. What would he want with their tiny house and a few sheep, a cow, and a horse anyway? He has like five times the amount that the Arlert's have." Eren rolled his eyes. The pain on his forehead didn't seem to affect his attitude in any way.

"No, I think she's right," Armin spoke up, his voice barely there. "Lord Dawk has offered to buy Grandpa's land more than once, but the price he offered was so low that Grandpa refused. He didn't want to sell our home unless it would pay for us to live better. Grandpa told me that the meager amount he was offered wouldn't keep us off the streets for long. We were better off with him working the farm as long as possible. Now that I'm gone, Grandpa is more likely to just give in, or at the very least Lord Dawk could wait for his death. I won't be there to pass the farm onto now." Armin's words were cold and held little emotion. He didn't want to start crying again and cause a scene or get his friends in trouble because he was making too much noise.

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you were chosen. You can't serve without your legs. Lord Dawk could get in a lot of trouble for sending you to the Rose family." Eren protested.

"Not necessarily," Mikasa whispered. "If nothing else, he's a human blood bag."

"But that's what prisoners are for!" Eren shouted, forgetting to be quiet again.

"If I hear one more peep out of you lot, the captain is going to brand all of your asses! If you want to remain able to sit, I suggest you shut the fuck up!" One of the soldiers shouted at them and whacked Eren on the back of the head again.

The whole wagon went quiet again and this time, no one said a word even after the soldiers went back to their talk. Armin held onto Eren for the entire ride as they traveled around picking up more kids until their wagon was full and they started the long ride to the castle. He couldn't have made the bumpy ride there sitting up without Eren and Mikasa holding him in place. They traveled all night and didn't stop until they made it to the city just outside the castle mote around dawn. Armin dosed off a couple of times through the night against Eren or Mikasa, whoever was keeping him up. He was too cold and in too much pain to actually feel rested, but at least it helped the time to pass. He didn't really wake up fully until they heard the loud horns announcing their arrival. His eyes opened and he watched as they passed under the giant archway to the city. He had never been in the main urban center before and all of the buildings were much larger, and brighter looking that Armin had ever seen. Had he not been in such a miserable situation, he would have found the sights to be beautiful and exciting. As they rode through the streets, Armin saw shops selling everything from food, to beautifully crafted instruments. However, it was the books that caught Armin's attention. He wished he had working legs and could escape to hide among the gorgeously bound and colorful books.

As they moved through the city and away from the market area, Armin started to notice that there were several other wagons of kids from neighboring towns and villages, all under the rule of the Rose vampires joining them in a procession. A large crowd had gathered to watch the new servants get carried away to the castle. Some of the wagons were caged like Armin's to prevent the kids from trying to escape, but others looked more like parade floats with the occupants cheering and hollering in excitement. Armin assumed that those kids were from wealthier villages where it was considered an honor to be chosen rather than a punishment. In his area, even in the town where Eren and Mikasa lived, getting culled meant that you were considered to be a burden on society; that you couldn't contribute enough to warrant keeping you around. The culling was an easy way to get rid of the citizens the lords didn't want, even though they were supposed to be sending the strongest and the brightest.

Armin felt his stomach start to turn as they neared the large riverboats that would carry them over the mile wide waters of the moat and to the castle grounds. The vessels looked shiny and freshly painted red and white. Armin guessed they would be more luxurious inside than he had ever seen. Not because the new servants were anything special, but because it seemed the closer they got to the castle the more impressive and grand the standard seemed to be. It would soon be revealed that Armin couldn't walk and he would have to either be carried or dragged. No matter how inviting the pretty boats looked, Armin didn't want to leave his spot on the splintery wooden wagon with Eren and Mikasa. He just hoped they wouldn't throw him directly in the water the moment they saw he was going to be a burden.

"Look at that idiot with the blond animal on his head," Eren muttered, noticing how distressed Armin was. He hoped to take his best friend's mind off the situation while he still could.

"Wh-what?" Armin looked up at Eren in confusion.

"Look at that guy." Eren subtly pointed to a boy on one of the parade float wagons. He was pushing his sleeve up and trying to show off his bicep like it was something to be impressed by. "He has a face like a horse and he is way more confident than he should be. He's no stronger than I am."

"Yeah, I guess he does look over confident," Armin whispered in a completely deflated voice as they stopped near the boat. The crowd that had gathered to watch them in the streets followed and were staring and waiting for the new servants to board the vessels that would take them to their new life. It was a very loud affair and Armin was feeling incredibly overwhelmed.

" **Alright! Everyone out! Single file!** " A man with piercing dark eyes and in armor polished to a perfect shine with golden accents called out over the noise as all the wagons came to a stop in a perfect semi-circle around him. Everything from his stature to his beautifully decorated armor told Armin he was the man in charge. He was the man that would likely decide the rest of Armin's life.

*Author's note. This is the first fanfiction I've ever published, and I would really appreciate some feedback if you think this story is worth continuing or if you have any constructive criticism. I just want to get better, so please don't hesitate to let me know how I'm doing!

Thanks in advance, Iggy


End file.
